Community Plunge
by Crystal Craig

I wade in among them—
the ones who don’t sand their edges smooth
or polish themselves to outshine the rest.

Laughter comes with crow’s feet.
Hands shaped by labor
clap, help, steady, encourage.

Shoulders, heavy with both joy and burden,
brush one another,
swaying to the rhythm of tide.

Teeth a little crooked, skin weathered with time,
etched with scars and hollows—
these are not flaws.
They are maps,
geographies of survival.
There is no shame here.

Here, no one measures worth.
No silent contests of beauty or power.
Only eyes that meet without flinching,
hearts that listen longer
than politeness demands.

In this circle,
the weight slides from my ribs.
No judgment. No disguise.
Just the strange relief of belonging—
of not having to earn it.

No one must bare their soul—
but if you choose to,
the buoyancy of community
holds you gently.

Smiles come unguarded.
Laughter bubbles from the heart.
Not polished perfection,
but wisdom lived:
the gift of presence,
the gift of authenticity.

Here, real recognizes real.
We are allies—
learning, fumbling,
finding our way together.

And when we surrender to salt water,
to the healing embrace of the Salish Sea,
I exhale.
Connected. Whole.

This is the water where I belong.